The Bloody Dragon
by Septum520
Summary: The most terrifying of the royal Fire Nation family. I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it
1. Chapter 1

There are many stories about the Fire Nation's royal family how they are all insane and bloodthirsty, how it runs in their blood, but there was one royal who was the most terrifying but these skills were hidden under a mask of incompetence and deception. This royal's name was Prince Zuko.

When Zuko was six he accidentally wondered into the dangerous of the Fire Palace and saw a prisoner being tortured using firebending and instruments, immediately he was enraptured he wanted to learn how to do it.

After the torturers had finished their session still not obtaining the information they desired, Zuko walked up to them and asked, "Can you teach me?"

One of them scoffed and said, "No one wants to learn how to torture someone, but if you really want to know then get that prisoner to talk and we'll teach you, okay kid."

"Deal." And with those words he walked up to the prisoner and said, "Start talking or the pain will start." The prisoner only laughed, because after all what could such a young kid do to him. Zuko grinned insanely, "I was hoping you'd do that, now let's begin, when you feel like talking say dragon and the pain will stop." He walked over to the rack of instruments and came back with a long, jagged knife.

"Now let's see, you're a prisoner now you won't be needing fingers." He cut off the right thumb, the prisoner screamed. "Still not hearing the words, don't worry will loosen your tongue yet." And proceeded to cut of the other four.

"Dragon, dragon, please have mercy, I'll talk, please." Zuko turned to the two men with a smile, "So, when do my lessons begin?" After that day Zuko went to the dungeons and learned how to loosen the tongues of people from everywhere. He wore a mask in the shape of a dragon, to hide the fact he was a member of the royal family and the truth of his age. He soon earned the name the Bloody Dragon, and was infamous across the Four Nations for his ability to make anyone talk. Fire Lord Azulon eventually promoted him to the Head of the Tortures, without ever knowing that the person was his own grandson.

When the Fire Lord died and Princess Ursa disappeared, the Bloody Dragon, bathed the dungeons with the blood of the prisoners. But even through it all only the two men who began teaching him ever knew his identity. When he became Crown Prince he had to resign his position as head and only come in when there was an especially tough prisoner to crack. Over the years, he hid his abilities from all his family, even after half of his face was burned off and he was exiled. As he searched for the Avatar he kept with him always a dragon mask splattered with permanent blood stains


	2. Chapter 2

As Zuko, Sokka, Suki, Azula, and Ty Lee fought on the roof of the cable car, Hakoda realized that without information, the invasion would fall apart like it did the last time. Right next to him was someone who had plenty of knowledge about the Fire Nation and its armies, they just needed to get it from him. Rather than push the warden out of the car as he had planned he knocked him out and dragged him along with the group.

When they returned to the Western Air Temple the remaining members there were surprised to see another Fire Nation member. "We need more information for the next invasion," explained Hakoda, "This warden is a higher up and will have the information we need." After realizing what was needed Toph created a pair of handcuffs for the man. Hakoda set to interrogating him after he was woken up from a splash of water to the face. His methods did not work, neither did Sokka's, Suki's, Katara's, or Aang's attempts to make him talk by being friendly. "He is impossible to break, he knows all the tricks, nothing gets to him," said Sokka at lunch, as the rest agreed with him. "May I try to get him to talk?" asked Zuko, "You can watch me to make sure I don't free him." Hakoda agreed as did the rest on the condition that he was watched, but Zuko had a condition as well; Aang had to leave the Temple until he was finished. When questioned why he merely raised his eyebrow.

After Aang left on Appa with Toph to learn more earthbending, Zuko went to his room and opened a bag inside his bag. Inside the bag was a pair of black clothing, a few sharp jagged knives and hooks, and a dragon mask with permanent bloodstains splashed across it. Zuko put on the black clothes and placed the knives and hooks on different parts of his body. As he walked towards the warden he was met by the rest of the group coming up and questioning what he was going to do. Before entering the room with the warden in it he turned around and spoke, "What I am going to do and the reason Aang had to leave are very simple and because of this," with those words he showed them the mask. Hakoda and Chit Sang gasped, the rest were left confused, quickly the two explained who and what the Bloody Dragon was, the best torturer and interrogator there ever was. Zuko put on the mask and walked into the room with Katara, Sokka, and Hakoda following.

The warden had his eyes closed as the four of them walked into the room, but open them and smiled smugly until he saw who was walking in front of them, immediately his expression changed to terror. The Dragon stalked forward quickly and stabbed a hook through the right bicep of the man and the left bicep, he then attached a string to the end of the hook. "Talk." "Never." Then he pulled the strings, the warden screamed. Ignoring the screams, he pulled harder until the hooks came free, with pieces of muscle still attached. Then he replaced the hooks in the warden's upper thighs and pulled again, whimpering and crying the warden began spilling the necessary information. The three that watched, from that point on had a higher respect for the prince that had chase two of them across the world. When Aang and Toph returned, the noticed the rest of the group treated Zuko differently, with a strange fearful reverence.

When the war was over Zuko's identity as the Bloody Dragon was reviled and safe to say the other nations and the Fire Nation nobles were highly cautious when dealing with the new Fire Lord.


End file.
